Telchur
Telchur, The Icebrother, is the god of winter, cold, and the North Wind, from the Greyhawk setting. He is a brooding, withdrawn deity, gloomy, sullen and stern. As a winter god, he prefers a frozen forest's calm tranquility to the sound of icy wind screaming through the mountains. Telchur is Chaotic Neutral. Dogma Telchur teaches hopelessness and resignation. A cold, dead winter lies at the end of every year, and at the end of every life as well. If hope is a candle's flame in the darkness, it is Telchur's chill north wind that extinguishes it, creating silence and chill, forever. Worship Most who worship Telchur do so in his role as a god of winter, among three other gods who preside over the other seasons. His worship is placating, aknowledging his power and asking him to be gentle, to be easy, to do only what must be done, and no more. Farmers especially offer him sacrifice to keep him complacent, and away from vulnerable crops. They worship him as part of a conglomerate of agricultural gods known as the Velaeri. Symbol Telchur's symbol is a leafless tree in a field of snow. Clergy Priests who are specifically dedicated to Telchur recieve gifts of winter, cold, wind, strength, and death. They preside over funerals especially, though they can be found throughout the harshest winter months, extoling the virtues of those who are strong enough to survive. They prefer quietude and peace, praying to their god as the sun sets and the cold darkness overtakes the land. Temples Temples to Telchur are often dedicated to the Velaeri agricultural gods as a whole. Specific sites dedicated to the god are often caves or windbreaks in the snow. From these windbreaks, the priesthood of Telchur serves a given community. The temples last only for the winter season, and are then torn down, to be reconsecrated at the end of the next autumn. Several prominent temples exist to Telchur on Oerth. The Frost Palace, in Blackmoor, is constructed of white marble, with walls ten feet thick. The Hanging Glacier of Alicedran, in the Corusk Mountains, is also a sacred site, said to have great wards. Previously, a temple of wood stood in Kaport Bay in the North Province, but during an especially harsh winter, it was torn down and used by the people as firewood. Festivals The midwinter is key to Telchur. On Oerth, his clerics are most active during the midwinter week of Needlefast. They are also involved in the transfer of power from Winter to Spring. Legends It is said that Telchur was once upon a time left in charge of weather for one thousand years, while the other gods attended to other worlds. When the gods returned, they found the world entirely frozen, leaving only room for winter. The Sky God, in response, created the other seasons, to keep Telchur in check. Relations Telchur is the son of Procan and cousin of Merikka. He is brother to the other deities of the seasons, Atora, Sotillion, and Wenta, and subordinate to their superior, the sky-god Velnius. Wenta is especially unhappy with him, as it is the coming of winter that brings the festivities of autumn to an end. Worthy of specific mention is Telchur's imprisonment of the barbarian god Vatun. That god's few remaining servants and allies (such as Llerg and Dalt) bear him great enmity. The goddess Loviatar also has no love for Telchur, as it is his influence (via the Hanging Glacier) that keeps her out of the world. Amongst the gods, Telchur may have few allies, but amongs the planar lords, he is more popular. The Wolf Lord of the Beastlands enjoys serving as Telchur's executioner, and the Slaad Lords enjoy Telchur's dedication to entropy. Unusually, his allied with a devil: Belial, who reportedly aided in the imprisonment of Vatun. Realm Telchur's lair is a place in Pandesmos, on Pandemonium, called the Icicle Palace. Description Telchur's form is a gaunt, dark-eyed old human, with a beard of icicles. Companions Winged Albino Bull: '''Telchur's only companion as he wanders the winter landscape his his winged albino bull, which he rides. Weapons '''Icy Shortspear: Telchur's main weapon is a shortspear seemingly carved of jagged ice. Vexxin: Telchur's greataxe, as tall as he is, made entirely of ice. Tla: A greatclub made of bronzewood Issai: A broadsword Sources Telchur was first detailed for the Dungeons & Dragons game in the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (1983), by Gary Gygax. Telchur was one of the deities described in the From the Ashes set (1992), for the Greyhawk campaign. Telchur was featured in the article series on the Oeridian Lesser Gods in Dragon #265 (1999). Telchur's role in the 3rd edition Greyhawk setting was defined in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000). Telchur's priesthood is detailed for 3rd edition in Complete Divine (2004). Telchur was also referenced as a deity in Frostburn (2004). Category:Greyhawk deities